[Samurai]

Yesterday, after finishing another gruelling drive via Bisle ghat, I noticed a small but new sound. It happens every time I start the GV, when the engine springs to life, I hear a small sound. I also hear this sound when the vehicle leans to one side, say when pulling out my sloping driveway. I also hear it sometimes when the GV falls in and out of a major pothole.

This sound is hard to define. It feels like a body sound rather than mechanical. Say if one of the body panel is loose, and if it slaps against the body, that is how it sounds. When the engine is started, the vibration it puts on the body is able produce this sound.

What could this sound be coming from? I did some visual inspection looking under the hood and peeking under the body, but I couldn't figure it out.

This sound is not the usual rattle, and I don't feel I can ignore it for long.

[Samurai]

I guess it is hard to diagnose without hearing the noise.

OK, let's look back at the lower arm whose bush had started to crack, the one I haven't replaced. What kind of sound is made by a lower arm whose bush has given up?

[Jaggu]

Have you checked the heat shields on the exhaust pipe?

[Amartya]

The lower arm bush you mention, wouldn't make a noise on start-up. Is there any indication of which portion of the car, the sound is coming from? I mean from the front/middle/back?

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Have you checked the heat shields on the exhaust pipe?

Very good idea. This might be it, and also check any mounts (sometimes a rubber bush with a U-Hook) used to suspend the exhaust.

After the car is cool (at least an hour after to it was last run, just to be safe), try to reach under and give the exhaust a shake (see if the sound is replicated), otherwise, get someone to start the car while you peek underneath the car body. Usually , it's near the driver/ front passenger's seat(approx.2.5 feet from the engine).

[sudev]

Samurai the middle hanger of exhaust pipe uses rubber connectors. Some times these come off and the exhaust makes the sort of noise you are describing. In fact I ended up reinforcing the rubber hangers with some copper wire to prevent their slippage. This typically occurs when I am going over sandy stretches with high hump in center of track. The sand pushes the exhaust pipe "up" and the rubber connectors tend to become loose and slip off the hanger.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Have you checked the heat shields on the exhaust pipe?

Originally Posted by Amartya

The lower arm bush you mention, wouldn't make a noise on start-up. After the car is cool (at least an hour after to it was last run, just to be safe), try to reach under and give the exhaust a shake (see if the sound is replicated), otherwise, get someone to start the car while you peek underneath the car body. Usually , it's near the driver/ front passenger's seat(approx.2.5 feet from the engine).

The problem vanished after days, at least at ignition. Now it comes very rarely. So I am not sure what that is...

Originally Posted by sudev

Samurai the middle hanger of exhaust pipe uses rubber connectors. Some times these come off and the exhaust makes the sort of noise you are describing.

Nope, I know the problem you are describing, have faced it 2-3 times. What I hear is a very short grinding noise.

Anyway, before 2010 came to an end, GV suffered a minor accident. I came out of my in-laws house after breakfast and was shocked to see this.



The red glass pieces on the ground was not mine. It was a case of hit-and-run. But nobody uses this road except somebody visiting my in-laws. After some head scratching between my wife and I, we concluded that it must have been my father-in-law. He is usually very careful in his Fiesta, but that day he and my mother-in-law were arguing heatedly about some issue and he must have reversed fast in frustration. Later this guess was confirmed.

[Jaggu]

Ouch and you can send the bill now to your in-law Funny how the glass broke, is it not sitting way inside the bumper level?

[Samurai]

The broken glass belongs to Fiesta. GV only got paint scratches. The panel had popped out too, I was able to pop it back in a second.

[oldmonk]

Originally Posted by Samurai

As I reversed for few meters, I heard a distinct and rather loud duduk sound from below every couple meters. I was puzzled, got down, looked around. Everything looked fine, all the tyres look well inflated. My last drive on GV was the 400Kms drive from Manipal, I parked and never touched it in 15 days.

Had the exact same problem this morning. Though I'd left it untouched only for little over a week. Going to workshop tomorrow, hope it's as simple as getting the discs cleaned.

Originally Posted by Samurai

2) AC performance had come down a lot, check the dust filter (sudev had similar problem).

Where is this filter located..?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by oldmonk

Had the exact same problem this morning. Though I'd left it untouched only for little over a week. Going to workshop tomorrow, hope it's as simple as getting the discs cleaned.

Mainly it will be rust between the disk and the brake pads. Always get the car cleaned after driving through muck.

Originally Posted by oldmonk

Where is this filter located..?

Even I am not sure. I think it was next to front passengers foot well. Anyway, ask them to follow the AC duct.

[oldmonk]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Mainly it will be rust between the disk and the brake pads.

To report back, noise went away after cleaning. Didn't have time to look for the dust filter, will do next month during service.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Today morning I got call with the following info:
1) Tie rods on both sides have too much play, needs to be replaced (roughly 2.5K each)
2) The bushes on the lower arms on both sides are gone. Both the lower arms need to be replaced (6K each).
3) Stabilizer link bushing is also gone, the link needs to be replaced (1.9K).

Looks like if the bushing is gone, the whole assembly needs to be replaced, not just the bush.

Then I asked them to show the parts to their DGM Nagaraj Kamath, whose advice I can really trust. He was the one who built the skid plates for the GV in 2008. He used to be part of Rally support teams in the 90s and understands vehicles that undergo extreme stress. When I called him later, he advised me to go with items 1 and 3, but he felt the lower arms can wait, it still has lot more life. It can be looked into if the sound gets bad.

Well, I still haven't changed the lower arms after 10,00kms more driving, the sound is still very limited and only on bad roads. Today I am going to get it inspected once again at service.

I discovered I haven't used my 20K and 30K free service coupons, the service book was misplaced for a while, I found it again. Too late to use the 20K coupon, but 30K coupon can be still used I hope. Currently the odometer is at around 34,500 kms.

Right now the most irritating problem I have is the engine switching off whenever I suddenly reduce the speed and come to a halt at neutral. Instead of idling, it switches off. This problem has been there ever since my battery was replaced. I have done throttle body adjustment few times, I see a slight improvement for a while and then back to same. Driving in Bangalore traffic with this problem is a nightmare, everytime I brake in traffic and halt in neutral even for a second, it switches off. Looks like the ECM is confused like hell.

[sudev]

@Samurai : This is ECM/Throttle Body reset issue. I am sure you followed correct procedures but please do it again after you have opened the throttle body and ECM module wire harness connectors and spraying if WMD40.

I faced this issue (See my thread on Mughal Rally) at strangest of places. But it got resolved by cleaning and then removing battery terminal for five minutes. Thereafter doing start without pressing accelerator and letting it idle for few minutes before touching the accelerator.

Throttle body adjustment (switch on - no start - press accelerator fully - switch off -leave accelerator - idle start without accelerator) would only do improvement in FE figures but not do complete ECM reset.

[tsk1979]

While you are at it, if the problem does not go away, do get the speed sensor checked.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I discovered I haven't used my 20K and 30K free service coupons, the service book was misplaced for a while, I found it again. Too late to use the 20K coupon, but 30K coupon can be still used I hope. Currently the odometer is at around 34,500 kms.

Never mind, they are paid service coupons. The gearbox oil change is scheduled for 40K, but I asked them do it right now (34.5K) since the vehicle is already 3.5 years old.

Originally Posted by sudev

@Samurai : This is ECM/Throttle Body reset issue. I am sure you followed correct procedures but please do it again after you have opened the throttle body and ECM module wire harness connectors and spraying if WMD40.

Actually there are two parts to the problem. First, the car vibrates a little whenever I start the car. Yes, similar to the i10 problem I recently had, but nowhere as violent. So I have been living with it. Second, the switching off problem whenever I slow down suddenly and go to neutral. Anyway, I drove up to the service center, the DGM (service) himself was standing outside. He is most familiar with my GV. I explained the issues to him, and he suspected a few things and gave specific instructions to the SA to check out. Looks like ECMs have declared war on me. Fortunately the CJ340 doesn't have a ECM.

Originally Posted by tsk1979

While you are at it, if the problem does not go away, do get the speed sensor checked.

They will be doing thorough checks today, hopefully it should be fixed.